Heathrow Express facts for kids
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A Heathrow Express Class 387 at London Paddington in 2021
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| Franchise(s): | Open access operator Not subject to franchising 23 June 1998 – 2028 |
| Main route(s): | London Paddington – Heathrow Airport |
| Fleet size: | 12 Class 387 |
| Stations called at: | 3 |
| Stations operated: | 3 |
| National Rail abbreviation: | HX |
| Parent company: | Heathrow Airport Holdings |
The Heathrow Express is a special train service that connects London Heathrow Airport to London Paddington station. It's a very fast way to travel, taking only 15 minutes without any stops!
This service started in 1998. It's run by two companies working together: Great Western Railway and Heathrow Express Operating Company. The Heathrow Express Operating Company is owned by Heathrow Airport Holdings, which also owns Heathrow Airport. About 16,000 people use this train every day.
Contents
History of the Heathrow Express
Why the Train Was Needed
London Heathrow Airport is a very busy international airport for London. In the late 1970s, you could get to the airport using the London Underground (the Tube). However, the journey on the Piccadilly line was quite slow, taking about 40 to 50 minutes. This was about the same time it took to get there by a black taxi.
Because of this slow travel, people started asking for better public transport to the airport in the early 1980s. Experts said that a "direct and dedicated" train link was really needed.
Planning and Building the Line
In 1986, a study suggested building a non-stop train link between London and Heathrow Airport. In 1988, the government approved a plan for British Airports Authority (BAA) and British Rail to work together on this project. They hoped to open it by 1993.
A special law was passed in 1991 to allow the project to be built. In 1993, the government agreed to help pay for it. BAA paid 80% of the cost, and British Rail paid 20%. The project was taken over by BAA in 1996 after British Rail became private companies.
Building the train line started in 1993. It was expected to cost about £350 million. The main parts of the project were:
- Two long tunnels, each about 6.8 kilometers (4.2 miles) long.
- Underground stations at Heathrow Central and Terminal 4.
- Adding electric power lines to the Great Western Main Line (GWML) railway tracks. This was needed for the trains to go fast enough to make the 15-minute journey.
- A special bridge called 'Stockley Flyover' was built. It helps trains from the new tunnel join the main railway lines without crossing other tracks.
During construction in 1994, part of a tunnel collapsed. This caused the ground above to sink and made three big holes on the surface. This accident delayed the opening by six months and added about £150 million to the cost.
When the Service Started
In January 1998, a temporary service called Heathrow FastTrain began. It went to a temporary station, and then passengers took a bus the rest of the way. The full Heathrow Express service officially opened on 23 June 1998. The Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, opened it.
From 1999 to 2003, you could even check in your luggage at Paddington station before your flight! This was similar to a service in Hong Kong for their airport train. However, not many people used it, and it was expensive to run, so it was stopped.
In March 2008, the service was extended to the new Heathrow Terminal 5 station. In 2010, a special shuttle train was added between Heathrow Central and Terminal 4. This made it easier for people to travel between the different airport terminals.
In 2017, Heathrow Express announced that over 100 million passengers had used their service since it opened! In 2018, the contract to run the service was extended until 2028. Later that year, Great Western Railway (GWR) took over running the trains. Heathrow Airport still handles things like marketing and ticket prices. In December 2020, brand new trains were introduced, replacing the older ones.
From Heathrow Connect to Elizabeth Line
In 2005, Heathrow Express also started helping with a new service called Heathrow Connect. This was a slower train that made more stops on the same route. It ran twice an hour.
In 2018, Heathrow Connect became part of TfL Rail, which was getting ready for the big Crossrail project. In May 2022, TfL Rail trains were renamed the Elizabeth line. These trains now go through central London, but the Heathrow Express trains still stop at London Paddington.
How the Service Works
The Heathrow Express trains run very often.
| Route | tph | Intermediate stops |
|---|---|---|
| London Paddington – Heathrow Terminal 5 | 4 | Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 |
Trains leave Paddington every 15 minutes. They start at 5:10 AM (6:10 AM on Sundays) and run until 11:25 PM. Trains also leave Heathrow every 15 minutes. At Paddington, the trains usually use platforms 6 and 7, which are just for them.
There are two stops at Heathrow:
- Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3: This journey takes 15 minutes from Paddington.
- Heathrow Terminal 5: This journey takes 21 minutes from Paddington.
If you need to travel between terminals at Heathrow, you can do so for free on the Heathrow Express. If you're going to Heathrow Terminal 4, you'll need to change to an Elizabeth line train at Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 station.
On Board the Train
The trains have two types of seating:
- Express Class: This is like standard class.
- Business First Class: This is like first class.
Both classes are easy to access for everyone. They have lots of space for luggage and free Wi-Fi. Business First Class has wider seats, a table at every seat, and allows you to use a faster security line at the airport.
Children under 16 can travel for free if they are with an adult who has a ticket. If children are traveling alone, they can travel for free in Express Class only if they can show proof of a flight to or from Heathrow on the same day.
The Train Route
The Heathrow Express travels along Network Rail's Great Western Main Line from Paddington to a place called Airport Junction. From Airport Junction to the airport terminals, the train line is owned by Heathrow Airport Holdings.
The line uses electricity from overhead wires. It also has special safety systems called Automatic Train Protection (ATP) and European Train Control System (ETCS). These systems help keep the trains safe. The main control center for the whole route is in Didcot.
Stations on the Route
| Station | Image | Time |
|---|---|---|
| London Paddington |  |
Start |
| Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 |  |
15 minutes |
| Heathrow Terminal 5 |  |
21 minutes |
The Trains Used
Current Trains
Since December 2020, the Heathrow Express has been using new trains called Class 387 units. There are twelve of these trains. They replaced the older Class 332 trains.
These Class 387 trains used to be used by Great Western Railway. Before they started service on Heathrow Express, they were updated with new features like:
- USB charging points
- More space for luggage
- Work tables
- On-board Wi-Fi
- HD TVs
- A new Business First cabin with reclining seats.
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Carriages | Routes | Built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | |||||||
| 387 Electrostar |  |
EMU | 110 | 177 | 12 | 4 | London Paddington – Heathrow Terminal 5 | 2016–2017 |
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Past Trains
The first trains used by Heathrow Express were 14 Class 332 trainsets. These trains started running in 1998. More carriages were added later to make some of the trains longer.
Until May 2018, Heathrow Express also used one Class 360 train. This train ran the shuttle service between Heathrow Central and Heathrow Terminal 4. After the Class 360 was removed, only the Class 332 trains were used for all Heathrow Express services.
In 2019, it was announced that the Class 332 trains would be replaced by the Class 387 trains. The last Class 332 train was taken out of service in December 2020.
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Carriages | Built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||||
| 332 |  |
EMU | 100 | 161 | 9 | 4 | 1997–1998 |
| 5 | 5 | ||||||
| 360/2 Desiro | .jpg) |
EMU | 100 | 161 | 1 | 5 | 2002–2005 |
See also
- Gatwick Express - a similar express train service between London Victoria station and Gatwick Airport
- Stansted Express - a similar express train service between London Liverpool Street station and London Stansted Airport
- Luton Airport Express - a similar express train service between London St Pancras station and London Luton Airport
